I like jimps. I know, I know, I can put alum on my fingers, and I always do, but I still miss jimps when I don't have them. On some razors (like a badly pitted old Lafayette 5/8" I restored) the tang is soft enough I can cut jimps in. On others it just isn't.

Obviously I wouldn't add jimping to any magnificent historical razors, not that I have any of those. But for example I have several no-name razors, clearly of German or American manufacture, and I sometimes think about adding jimps to those.

So I have been thinking of trying the following thing:

  • Get a big tub of ice water and suspend the razor in it so that only the shank is exposed to air
  • quickly heat the tang with a hot torch, swirling the ice water to make sure the blade stays cold
  • remove the torch when the shank turns red hot
  • let the shank cool off
  • cut my jimps and go on my merry way


I know a lot of forum members have a lot of experience with heat treatment -- does the process described above look like it might work?